Process for the production of lampblack



J. M. GERARD AND H. J. MASSON, JR.

PROCESS FOR THE PRODUCTION OF LAMPBLACK.

APPLICATION FILED 050.23. 1913. RENEWED MAY 29,1920.

L36473u Patented Jan. 4, 1921..

' ATTORNEYS.

UNITED STATES PATENT- OFFICE.

JULIAN M. GERARD AND HENRY J. MASS ON, JR., OI NEW YORK, Y3; SAIDMASSON' ASSIGNOR TO SAID GERARD.

PROCESS FOR THE PRODUCTION OF LAMPIBLAGK.

Specification of Letters Fatent.

Patented Jan. 4, 1921.

Application filed December 28, 1918, Serial No. 267,891. Renewed May 29,1920. Se'ria1 No. 885,889.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, JULIAN M. GERARD and HENRY J. MAssoN Jr. citizensof the United States, residing at New York, in the county of New Yorkand State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvementsin Process for the Production of Lampblack, of which the following is aspecification:

Our invention relates to the productlon of a highly superior grade ofcarbon black or lamp black bymeans of the decomposltion of a suitablecarbon compound into its elements, with little or no reaction betweenthese elements.

The process most commonly employed heretofore for the production ofcarbon black from carbon compounds depends upon the incompletecombustion of such a compound and while it is in contact with acollecting surface or surfaces, such as a large iron plate or the like.Such a method is very wasteful as it only produces in actual.

operation less than three per cent. of the theoretical maximum yield.For example, only about one pound of carbon black is produced by theprocess most frequently used up to the present from one thousand cubicfeet of natural gas, from which 35 pounds may be theoretically obtained.

Attempts have been heretofore made to decompose a carbon compound bypassing it through a tubular apparatus heated to a high temperature,suiiicient to decompose the carbon compound into its elements. Suchattempts have not been successful mainly because hard coked carbon wasdeposited in these tubes, which clogged them up. Besides, since thecarbon black was permitted to remain in the zone of high temperature, itdeteriorated in quality and lost the desired deep black luster andbecame much duller and gray. This deterioration was emphasized by thefact that high temperatures, usually about 1200 (3., were necessary tocompletely decompose a carbon compound in this manner.

According to our method and by the use of our apparatus the carboncompound. in form of a gas or vapor is heated by direct contact orintermingl'mg with a highly heated gas or gases, the contact orintermingling taking place in an inclosed space, so that the hightemperature necessary to decompose the carbon compound is instantlysecured. At the same time the decomposed gases which have the freecarbon present in them in the form of minute particles are caused torapidly move away from the region of high temperature, so as to avoidthe deposit of any substantial uantity of the free carbon on the wallsof t e inclosed space and so avoid any further reactions between theliberated carbon and any of the gaseous products subject to the hightemperature. The heated gases are preferably cooled very rapidly, as forinstance by a spray of water as soon as the have passed outof the regionor zone of igh temperature, the temperature bein preferably maintainedabove 100 (1., so t at the water is carried along in the form of steamwith the-cooled gases that carry along the carbon that it is not drawnto scale. An explosive mixture of air and combustible gas is led throughthe inletpipe 1 to the refractory bed 2, of a surface combustion furnacein which carbon-dioxid at a high temperature is generated. Ur carbonmonoxid may be generated and fed into the furnace .and unite with oxygenin chamber 15.and the heat developed in this exothermic reactiondecomposes the carbon compound. This decomposition unit is surrounded byrefractory material 3,as is known-,"and other suit? able means forsecuring carbon dioxid at a high temperature may be employed. The

gas or vapor which contains the carbon and is to be decomposed, entersthe reaction chamber or zone, through a pipe 4 made of refractorymaterial which also serves to preheat the vapors, but not decomposethem. On the opposite side of the furnace a larger pipe 5 made ofrefractory material is inserted' and thepipe 4 projects a slightdistance. into the pipe 5. As the carbon-"con- 1 perature is alsomaintained above 100 0.,

taining vapors or gases emerge from the pipe 4;, their velocity fallsbecause of the v of refracto greater diameter of the pipe 5 and theycome into contact with the highly heated carbon dioxid, whichhas atemperature suflicient to so highly heat each carbon comductor of heat,this operation is facilitated.

However, in order to quickly cool the products and prevent reactionsbetween carbon and gases they are passed into the coolin tower 6, wherethe mingled gases are coole by the water spray 9, of which 8 is the in-4 let. Just sufiiclent water is passed through the tower so as to coolthe gases to temperatures above which furtherreactions would take lace,the water however being maintained in the form of steam, so that nowater The tower is procollects in the tower. vided with a cleaning door16. The products of the decomposition and the steam then pass throughthe pipe 10, where the temso that no steam condenses, to an electricalprecipitator 11, which is conventionally indicated and may be of any aas is shown for example inU, Patent 0. 1,278,137. The carbon black isseparated from the gases and is discharged fromthe outlet 17. Thesteamand other products may be separated from the hydrogen, andthevarious products may .be purified and separated for commercial use.

When liquids or other organic compounds are to be used for making thecarbon black they are-vaporized in vaporizer '13, whose outlet 14 isthen connected with pipe 4 by any suitable means. Hence, this processcan be used with any organic compound which exists normally as a gas orcan be converted to a vapor or to such form that it can be heated by agas so as to secure the before mentioned results.

The reactions on which the process is basedand which represent thetheoretical maximum yield of our apparatus are as follows H 'Equations 1and 2 are generic and represent the action which takes place with anyroved tv e Although we have described a preferred embodiment of ourinvention it is clearthat numerous changes and omissions could be madewithoutdeparting from its spirit.

Thus other inert gases could be used instead of carbon dioxid, and othermeans could be used for very rapidly heating the carbon-containingvapors or their equivalent with great rapidity in an inert atmosphere,so as to very rapidly liberate the carbon in the form of minuteparticles, and remove these particles from the region of decompositionbefore they lose their desirableflqualit'ies. The steam could also becondensed before passing through the electrical precipitator, althoughits presence is. preferable, as it assists in securing the efiicientcollection of the carbon black in the desired form or state. The flow ofthe hot carbon dioxid need not be in the same vapors at the time theyare intermingled but this is preferable, because it facilitatesdirection, as the carboncontaining a the rapid removal of the carbonparticles from the region of decomposition.

We claim:

1. A method of producing lamp black which consists in heating a carboncontaining compound by means of direct contact with an inert gas, the"said heat being sulficient to decompose the said compound into carbonand other substances, and removing the free carbon from the zone ofheating.

2. A method of producing carbon which consists of rapidly heating anaeriform fluid containing carbon by direct contact and interminglingwith a highly heated inert gas, the heat being sufiicient to decomposethe said fluid into finely divided particles of carbon and otherproducts, and

rapidly moving the said finelv divided particles out of the said zone ofheat, so that 4 they are removed from the said zone before they losetheir deep black color. or further reactions take place among theproducts.

3. A method of producing lampblack which consists in heating an aeriformfluid containing carbon by means of direct contact with a highly heatedlnert gas, the

temperature being suflicient to decompose the said fluid into carbon andother products, rapidly moving the said carbon and other products out ofthe zone of heating so that the said carbon does not loseits deep blackcolor, and then cooling the intermingled substances, by means of a sprayof water. the temperature being maintained above 100 C. during saidcooling.

4. A method of producing lamp black which consists in heating anaeriform fluid containing carbon bv means of direct contact with ahighly heated inert gas orby the heat developed in an exothermic gaseousreaction, the temperature being sufiicient to decompose the said fluidinto carbon and other products, rapidly moving the said carbon and otherproducts out of the zone of heating so that the said carbon does notlose its deep black color and then coolin the intermingled substances bymeans 0% a spray of water to prevent further reactions, the temperaturebeing maintained above 100 C., and then collecting the said carbon bymeans of electrical precipitation.

5. In the art of producing lamp black, that step in the art whichconsists in highly heating a substance containing carbon by directcontact with a highly heated gas in an inert atmosphere.

6. In the art of producing lamp black, that step in the art whichconsists in intermingling a carbon-containing aeriform fluid moving in agiven direction with a stream of highly heated'inert gas moving in thesame direction, the heat of the Said inert gas being sufiicient todecompose the said fluid into free carbon in the form of minuteparticles and other products, the velocity of the combined stream ofsaid fluid and said inert gas being suflicient to remove said particlesfrom the region of decomposition before they lose their luster orsubsequent reaction takes place.

In testimony whereof we hereunto alfix our signatur JULIAN M. GERARD.HENRY J. MASSON, JR.

